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Machine on a good extension cord?


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I'm going to go against the general consensus and say extension cords will work IF you have a good match of power point, cord, and machine.

I run several machines on an extension cord, so know it is not a problem, but i have a background in electronics, so understand the variables. 

The bottom line is that extension cords reduce power available to the machine due to cable resistance. The  wire cross section, whether the wire is stranded  or solid, what the wire composition is, and length of the cable all affect the ability of the cord to provide full power to the machine. For best results use a multi stranded, copper cored cable rated at the highest possible amperage, and keep the cord as short as possible.

For the US I suspect that your best bet would be a 30Amp cable normally used for RV connections (30A @ 110V equals our 15A @ 230V) (You may need to change the connectors to be for a normal plug/socket).

If you are running an Ambient Snack machine it won't need this, but any combo or refrigerated machine will draw a heavy current when the refer kicks on. Best to have the highest rated cord.

Oh, and never leave an extension cord part rolled up, buy a shorter one. When power is drawn through the cord any power loss is achieved by conversion to heat (why the cord feels hot when under heavy load), and if the cord is coiled the electromagnetic field created by current flowing along the cord tries to induce a current in the adjacent cord facing the opposite way (on the other side of the coil), this is called back EMF, and will also add to the resistance and thus heat generated in the cord. The more heat, the more chance of the insulation melting, the more chance of causing a fire.

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For a snack, yes.  For a soda machine, no.  If this must be done then an extension cord only the exact length you need and one gauge or more in larger wire than the machine cord.

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It is a fire and electric code violations to use an extension cord for more than a few hours/days. Anything more is not temporary.  

 

Walta

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